Dr. Napatia T. Gettings understands that we are all a product of our collective experiences, biological predispositions, and nurturing processes. Dr. Gettings has a wide array of clinical and leadership experience that solidifies her expertise in the field of psychiatry.
Her passion for holistic health and wellness includes educating her audience about preventative medicine and integrated wellness. Dr. Gettings' practice within the field of psychiatry includes advocacy, legislative policy, mental health awareness, and patient education.
Dr. Gettings began her medical career at Misericordia Home on the
south side of Chicago as a rehabilitation aide at 17. There she first
treated adults and children with profound intellectual disabilities.
After completing freshman year at Dartmouth College, she transferred to
The University of Chicago as a Biological Sciences major.
While
attending the University of Chicago she tutored youth treated at the University of Chicago’s Sonia Shankman Orthoepic School; a residential treatment facility that provided her first exposure to the field of child and adolescent psychiatry.
In 2003, Dr. Gettings obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Biological Sciences and continued on to the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine graduating
in 2007 with her Doctor of Medicine degree.
Dr. Gettings then completed
residency training in Adult Psychiatry at The University of Illinois at
Chicago in 2010. Afterwards she pursued further specialty training at
the University of Illinois Institute of Juvenile Research where she
completed a fellowship in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in 2012.
As chief fellow at the institute, Dr. Gettings provided psychiatric care to detained youth at the Cook County Juvenile Detention Center and many children in foster care.
Dr. Gettings’ mission as a medical doctor specializing in Psychiatry is to bring brain health awareness to the mainstream and dismantle the misconceptions associated with it.
As a brain health expert, she advocates for the safe usage of cannabis as a plant-based treatment modality for brain health conditions. As a registered physician with both the Illinois Medical Cannabis Pilot Program and the Illinois Opioid Alternative Pilot Program she has aided many patients gain access to medical cannabis.
Dr. Gettings is an active member of The American Psychiatric
Association and the American Medical Association. She is a fellow of the
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and holds double board certifications in both Adult Psychiatry and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
She is licensed to practice medicine in
Illinois, Florida, and California. She is the founder and medical
director of Clarion Conscience LLC, a telehealth private practice
providing mental health treatment across the nation to those in need.
Her clinical work has been featured in many publications and media outlets. Through preventative medicine and education, Dr. Gettings helps her audience make the conscious decision to preserve their health.
Do you think cannabis education for medical professionals and healthcare providers is lacking?
Absolutely. I graduated from medical
school in 2007 and received no education regarding the endocannabinoid
system and disease. I graduated from psychiatry fellowship in 2012 and
received no education regarding one of the largest neurotransmitter
systems in the brain, the endocannabinoid system.
I did learn about the
dangers of cannabis as it relates to substance abuse and its increased
risk of psychosis. As a psychiatrist I have treated patients acutely
intoxicated with Cannabis and seen its deleterious effects.
However, we are doing a huge disservice to the entire population if we eliminate access to an entire plant family comprised of many cannabinoids because some individuals have awful reactions to exposure to THC. Like pharmaceuticals, cannabis does not result in the same response to everyone but that does not mean it should be discarded.
What kind of cannabis research is critical that has not been covered yet?
We need double blind placebo-controlled trials of cannabis
in individuals with many diseases including neurological disorders,
chronic pain, inflammatory diseases, endocrine disorders, and autoimmune
disorders.
For the research to occur on the scale that it needs to we have to continue to advocate for legalization on a federal level.
Where do you see medicinal cannabis in 3 years?
I am hopeful that in 3 years there will be a renormalization of the usage of this plant in medical practice. This will open happen with education and removal of the stigma that has plagued this plant for too long.
What would be the most appropriate first step in guiding a first-time cannabis user?
Fully understand what you are putting in your body and its mechanism of action. Be educated on all the properties of the plant you are consuming and why it may benefit your condition.Also understand the risks associated as you would with any treatment option.
About Dr. Gettings
NAPATIA M. TRONSHAW-GETTINGS MD, FACAAP
BOARD CERTIFIED ADULT PSYCHIATRIST
BOARD CERTIFIED CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRIST
THE FULL CIRCLE ALLIANCE INC.
18305 DISTINCTINVE DRIVE ORLAND PARK, IL 60467
